Don't get rid of it yet.

While that is designed for sniffing propane, it, in fact will work with other hydrocarbons. I have one similar to the one Karl has. One of the times I smelled gasoline. I used it to discover were my gas was leaking. that turned out to be very very good (it was the fuel level sending unit in my syncro.)

It's a darn useful tool for our aging vehicles. Especially for those of us (like me) that have more than one.

On Jul 20, 2011, at 2:15 PM, Steve Williams wrote:

> About two years ago, I wrote here about the installation of my Propex
> heater by Karl at Westy Ventures.
>
> This summer, I noticed the heater wouldn't light, so I removed it and
> sent it to Karl for repair under warranty.  He sent it back within a
> few weeks, and I reinstalled it.
>
> Then I wanted to test for leaks, so I bit the bullet and bought a
> propane sniffer.  Here's what I wrote two years ago:
>
> At 05:48 AM 8/26/2009, Steve Williams wrote:
>> At 04:39 AM 8/26/2009, Richard Golen wrote:
>>> When you are done, use some slightly diluted dishwashing liquid to
>>> check for leaks.
>>
>> That's the traditional way.  That's how I tested the GoWesty cap.  (I
>> never did get it to seal completely!)  Obviously not many Vanagons
>> explode after using the traditional soapy water check.
>>
>> Karl uses an electronic tester, which is WAY more sensitive than
>> soapy water.  Similar to this:
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002VJ0DA/sbw/
>
> I bought a less expensive tester, a TIF8800A:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000NPIYDC/sbw/
>
> It's easy to use and seems to work well.  I tested the sniffer by
> turning on the range burners for a moment.  It quickly sang out when
> it smelled the propane and then quickly went back to background
> clicking when I switched off the burners.  (I had a fan going, so the
> propane dissipated quickly.)
>
> Then I went around and sniffed at all of the propane fittings inside
> and outside the camper.  It detected no leaks, which made me feel better.
>
> I'll probably keep the sniffer in my Westy somewhere.  It doesn't
> take up much space, and it's good for my peace of mind.  But, really,
> I'll rarely use it, so I'd like to figure out a way to share it.  Do
> folks on this list ever share equipment by mail?  I mean, I could
> just sell the silly thing, but it hardly seems worth the trouble.